August 25, 2011

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Count freshman Rep. Dan Benishek as the latest Republican to come out in defense of oil companies.

According to The Petoskey News, the 1st District Michigan congressman told a public forum, "(Democrats) talk about raising the taxes on the oil companies. I think oil companies pay their fair share."

"I can understand where the oil company wants to deduct the cost of drilling a well. That's one of the tax breaks for oil companies -- the subsidies -- they get to deduct the cost of the well the year you drill," he continued.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee wasted little time to seize on the statement.

“Benishek is so out-of-touch that he’d rather cut spending by ending Medicare than by asking Big Oil companies making record profits to give up their outrageous $4 trillion in taxpayer subsidies. That might be fair for Dan Benishek but it isn’t fair for Michigan families," said DCCC spokesman Jesse Ferguson.

Texas Rep. Joe Barton famously apologized to BP CEO Tony Hayward following the Gulf oil spill. But Speaker John Boehner told ABC News back in April that he was open to curbing some of industry's subsidies.

Posted by David Catanese 10:17 AM

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